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2014 MTV VMAs: From Beyonce To Miley Cyrus, Women Ruled
Last night, MTV handed out its 2014 Video Music Awards, and, of course, the biggest moments weren't just the performances or acceptance speeches—they were also the shade thrown offstage! Let's take a look:
Best Use Of Divorce Rumors
Beyonce won three VMAs, but she was really there for her Video Vanguard award. After an 18-minute medley performance, husband Jay Z and daughter Blue Ivy presented her with the award. The toddler clapped and said, "Yeah Mommy!" and Jay Z called her the "greatest living entertainer." So... when are they splitting up?
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This Year's Wardrobe Malfunction: Multi-Tasking Nicki Minaj
During the show's opening medley, Nicki Minaj performed her new Sir Mix A Lot-sampled "Anaconda," and then rushed to join Jessie J and Ariana Grande for their song "Bang Bang." But her outfit change, from sexy green bustier into short black dress didn't go so well, because Minaj had to clutch the black dress closed the whole time. But she does win this year's award for VMA humping and twerking (the torch is passed!).
Greatest Way To Invoke Britney Spears And Justin Timberlake's Youthful Romance
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Katy Perry and her new collaborator Riff Raff dressed as Brit Brit and JT, circa 2001, circa mad-denim love:
Katy Perry's brilliantly tacky tribute to Britney Spears at the V.M.A.s. http://t.co/4JGUeY1ozK pic.twitter.com/awkzvQElhx
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) August 25, 2014
Best Reaction To A Taylor Swift Performance
Taylor Swift was shaking it out and Gwen Stefani used her fingers to clap. Maybe Gwen could only hear Taylor's isolated vocals.
Most Expected Yet Still Awful Kardashian Moment
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Kim Kardashian and her half-sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner may or may not have been texting when rapper Common asked for a moment of silence for Michael Brown and the situation in Ferguson, Missouri.
listening to words about #Ferguson #VMAs pic.twitter.com/kYkTTnLroL
— Doree Shafrir (@doree) August 25, 2014
Best Miley Cyrus Acceptance Speech Made By A Homeless Man
The former tween star won the Video of the Year award for "Wrecking Ball" (directed by allegedly scummy photographer Terry Richardson), but she didn't give a speech herself. Instead, she sent up a man named Jesse, who has been living on the streets of Los Angeles. He said, "I am accepting this award on behalf of the 1.6 million runaways and homeless youth in the United States who are starving and lost and scared for their lives. I know, because I am one of those people... I have survived in shelters all over this city. The music industry will make over $7 billion this year, and outside these doors are 54,000 human beings who have no place to call home." He then told viewers to go to Cyrus' Facebook page, to donate to raise funds for a homeless shelter called My Friend's Place.
The NY Times reports, "Ms. Cyrus, according to a representative, modeled Jesse’s appearance after Marlon Brando’s decision to have a woman named Sacheen Littlefeather accept his Best Actor Oscar for “The Godfather” in 1973 as a protest against the movie industry’s treatment of Native Americans."
While he accepted the award, Cyrus sat by the stage, crying.
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Cyrus had the second best reaction to a Taylor Swift performance, BTW:
WUT pic.twitter.com/roZv5crgV8
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) August 25, 2014
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